Call for Research Proposals: Drivers of Increase in Poor Mental Health for Young People – UK

The work will involve data analysis, a comprehensive review of the evidence, and the creation of research design options to fill evidence gaps.

This work will enable Youth Futures to provide independent information to decision makers (including politicians) on the existing knowledge concerning the drivers ahead of and following the upcoming general election (anticipated Autumn 2024). The work will also support Youth Futures portfolio of policies and current and future research and evaluation on young people affected by poor mental health.

Project Aims 

• As a What Works Centre, Youth Futures is uniquely placed to address gaps in evidence about what works to support young people with poor mental health. By commissioning this project they hope to:
  • Understand the existing knowledge and evidence concerning the drivers of the increase in poor mental health outcomes for young people in England and,
  • Understand how gaps in the evidence base can be filled.
• This project will support core areas of the work including:
  • Evidence generation: they hope to inform decision makers, including politicians, about the current evidence base concerning the drivers of poor mental health for young people in England around the upcoming UK general election (anticipated Autumn 2024).
  • Policy: to enable the development of Youth Futures’ core policy positions that they can present to decision-makers, including national and local governments, funding bodies and other stakeholders to improve the ability of policy and delivery actors to support young people.
  • Evaluation and research: to enable YFF to consider the feasibility and value of funding additional research intended to fill evidence gaps in this area.

Budget 

• The total budget for this work is up to £150,000.

Geographic Scope: Where the literature is not well established in England or in the UK for any given driver, international contexts can be included to fill evidence gaps with commentary on its appropriate transferability of findings to the UK context.

Education and employment outcomes: The specific relationship of mental health on youth employment or education is out of scope of this research, except where work or education factors are potential drivers of poor mental health. The impact of mental ill health on education and employment outcomes has been well-evidenced in recent literature (e.g. Resolution Foundation, 2024).

Potential drivers: Given the dearth of quality evidence regarding drivers of the increase in poor mental health among young people in England, the review should be as far reaching as possible in terms of potential drivers in scope, and to not be limited to their own ideas, or even the limits of existing research.

Research Team Requirements 

• The research team for this project should have:
  • Expertise in interdisciplinary working, including projects that use both qualitative and quantitative research, and that bring together disciplines such as social psychology, public health, and/or social policy.
  • A track record of conducting research on young people’s mental health. Previous research concerning the drivers of mental health is a particular advantage.
  • Expert knowledge of and analysis experience in relevant data sources, including public health and medical data.
  • Data analysis expertise of both administrative and survey data, including panel data.
  • Good links to relevant partnership organisations is advantageous.
• Advisory Group
  • An advisory group will be established once the work is commissioned to guide the direction of the work throughout the project and provide expert guidance and a sounding board to the commissioning organisation and delivery partner from a range of expertise and perspectives.

For more information, visit Youth Futures Foundation.